More wine kit problems...

Hi,

I'm making two batches of wine at the moment.

Chateau Des Terrasses - Viognier (white)
Chateau Des Tarrasses - Negroamero (red)

The red started off with extremely aggressive fermentation. I needed a blow off tube and everything to contain the mess. Within 5 days it had gone from 1.09 sg. to 0.995 (fermentation had slowed way down).

I followed the instructions and started the stabilizing and clearing process based on the recommended SG readings. This step was suppose to take place around day 32 but I found myself doing it on day 6? This doesn't seem right for some reason. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I read the hydrometer correctly. It had indeed gone through the fermentation process that quickly. The hydrometer was showing that it was ready to bottle.

So I do the clearing and stabilizing process and it goes off without a hitch. The wine looks good, no bubbles, its clearing up nicely.


onto the white...

This batch started off more predictably. There was no aggressive fermentation like the red, but it still went through fermentation rather quickly. I found myself stabilizing and clearing around day 11. Still very quick compared to what I'm use to but nowhere near the 32 days that the instructions suggest.

The clearing went great, but the wine never stopped bubbling. The airlock clearly shows that the wine is still producing gas, and has been for 2 days now. The bubbles are much larger then what you would see during fermentation, and appear to only be coming from the sediment in the bottom of the carboy. I've done over 30 successful batches and I've never seen wine do this during clearing and stabilizing. Is it still fermenting? or is the wine degassing itself?

This is my first time using this brand. I did notice right away that it didn't come with Potassium Sorbate or Potassium Metabisulfite. Every kit I've ever made came with these two chemicals except this brand. I don't know if that plays a factor in this bubbling, but its the only factor that is different from the other 30 batches.

So whats going on with this bubbling?

EDIT: sorry, I don't actually know what the chemicals mentioned above actually do. If one of those two is stabilizer, the kit obviously came with that. They just label it "stabilizer"

Both sounds fine. I've never had a wine take more than 5-7 days to get to FG.

Do your instructions call for degassing? It sounds like the white is pretty gassy. Most kits have you stir/degas before adding the clarifiers.

Yooper said:

Both sounds fine. I've never had a wine take more than 5-7 days to get to FG.

Do your instructions call for degassing? It sounds like the white is pretty gassy. Most kits have you stir/degas before adding the clarifiers.

Click to expand...

alright.

Yes it calls for degassing. I usually siphon it between carboys 3 or 4 times before I add the chemicals.

Wulfonce said:

alright.

Yes it calls for degassing. I usually siphon it between carboys 3 or 4 times before I add the chemicals.

Click to expand...

Should I siphon off the wine and try to degas it again, or would this mess with the clearing. Its already totally clear as it sits.

Wulfonce said:

Should I siphon off the wine and try to degas it again, or would this mess with the clearing. Its already totally clear as it sits.

Click to expand...

I don't know those kits. But usually you add the clarifiers after degassing. So I"m puzzled where you are in the steps. Generally, a gassy wine won't clear and stirring it up after the clarifiers have done their work is counterproductive.

Do you have your instructions available, to see when you should degas?

Yooper said:

I don't know those kits. But usually you add the clarifiers after degassing. So I"m puzzled where you are in the steps. Generally, a gassy wine won't clear and stirring it up after the clarifiers have done their work is counterproductive.

Do you have your instructions available, to see when you should degas?

Click to expand...

It reads....

Step #3 - day 32

sg. 0.998 - 0.990

-Degas for 10min
-Add kieselsol, stir for 1 min
-wait 15-30min then add Chitosan, stir for 2 min
-pour in stabilizer, stir for 1 min
-top up carboy
-wait 7-10 days for it to be clear.

It cleared in 2 days, and is still bubbling from the sediment.


Video link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUhErTALFCU&feature=youtu.be

Wulfonce said:

It reads....

Step #3 - day 32

sg. 0.998 - 0.990

-Degas for 10min
-Add kieselsol, stir for 1 min
-wait 15-30min then add Chitosan, stir for 2 min
-pour in stabilizer, stir for 1 min
-top up carboy
-wait 7-10 days for it to be clear.

It cleared in 2 days, and is still bubbling from the sediment.


Video link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUhErTALFCU&feature=youtu.be

Click to expand...

Instead of "degas for 10 minutes", it should probably say "degas until no more gas" but often 10 minutes of vigorous stirring/whipping will be enough.

If you've already done the degassing, then I guess I wouldn't worry about it. It sounds like you didn't fully degas before adding the finings, though.